Tony George ousted from IMS

Wow! Didn't know that storm was brewing.

 

Karma? It was this %$#W# that really drove the division in open wheel racing here in the U.S.. If they had managed to keep CART together without the IRL who knows were the series might be now. I'm sure it might have been a series that Ferrari and the other manufacturers might be talking about moving into instead of F1...

 

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-tony-george-ousted-from-ims/

According to the article, US open wheel racing's chief knob will now devote himself to the IRL, Indycar, whatever it's called now.

The headline gave me hope, but it appears there's more yet to come from the tool who gave us the Danicanapolis 500 ("Dances with Taxman" beats "Strips for Cash"), the absolute worst F1 course in recent memory, the destruction of a first rate international racing championship and its replacement by a spec series, etc.

From the article:

"George, who started the Indy Racing League in 1996, will continue as CEO of the IndyCar series and is expected to take more of a hands-on role after Tuesday's developments at the Speedway."

 

I thought it was so odd. I'm at the Conrad Hotel bar Fast Friday night. TG is in the bathroom with me. I said hello and that I had spent the day at the track. He asked me what happened as he had not been there. I told him the fast five. He asked about Happy Hour. Not good. Only 3-4 cars out. We talk as we walked back to the bar and he stayed there a while looking kinda lost. In hindsight it makes more sense today.

This could be moved to other racing I guess.

 

Interesting. Makes more sense now. Not as much of a surprise, then.

 

Damn, Will. I'm in love and you're pouring cold water on me...

The hell with TG, though. He screwed ALL of us out of a top-line US open wheel series.

 

I've been calling this guy a fool for 20 years. He's always been in over his head; nothing more than the kid who owns the ball using it to pretend he's popular.

 

Well, he managed to keep 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' a 'Spectacle'...too bad the racing ain't much a part of it anymore.

 

While I'm not a fan of Tony George, the only positive thing he's done is his investment in the Speedway. I remember going to the Speedway for the first time in 93 to see Nigel Mansell run and couldn't believe what a dump that place was. Sure you respect the history, but it reminded me of my old Cleveland Stadium, just a relic of the depression era with bathrooms that reeked of 70 years of piss. Now the place is the best in America (facility wise).

 

Tony George has positioned the IRL to become one of the premier racing series in the world.

You have Audi, Alfa Romeo, VW, all considering engines for the IRL, the Indy 500 this year was actually a good race, and the field looks to be full for the season. Looks like Paul Tracy has a full time ride with Foyt, so now you have 5-6 name drivers, and thanks to Helio and Danica, a lot more people are watching the IRL.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the best facility in the North America, even former girlfriends liked going there as the restrooms were clean.

Tony George brought us the USGP, something no one else could do. And hopefully with the reorganization in F1, Ecclestone will give into TG and allow the USGP to return.

So for all of his supposed negatives, I have to give him credit for a lot of good things for me as a race fan.

 

Charles, CART was on a self destruct path anyway. No successful series in the world is run by the teams. The IRL just hastened their demise. Traditional American open wheeled racing is on ovals, not road courses. CART went road course. So if CART had anything to offer, they would still be around.

I remember sitting in the Indy pits before the 500 when CART came to fruition, someone much wiser than me said they would go away in a few years, that the egos of the team owners are too big for them to agree on anything long term. Took much longer, but he was right.

I had always hoped to see CART on road courses, and IRL on ovals, with a few joint races and a World Series like show down. But egos got in the way.

 

Hardly. While he may have upgraded some facilities, the majority of them are straight out of the 40's. The infield bathrooms are disgusting as are most of those under the ground-level grandstands. His investments pandered to the demands of Formula 1 and barely trickled beyond the paddock. The pagoda was nice, though.

 

Your description of the track in 93 could be used to describe Daytona today - the same filthy bathroom I was using 30 years age - I have a bad back now and Daytona has 1 elevator on each side of the track - what a dump!!!

 

Most of the bathrooms at Daytona are aluminum feeding troughs meant for cattle. Daytona has updated the pit areas a little and added the Daytona experience with the arcade and the driver simulation and tour etc.

My feeling about Indy was similar to others mentioning how nice the paddock and skybox areas were (mostly updated by those that paid the 100k plus a year to rent) and how old and dirty the bleecher area was. They do have several elevators in the holman moody part of the track.

I've been to no name horse tracks that were cleaner and more modern than both.

As for Tony George i'm glad to see him go. The guy thought that the Indy 500 name had such universal appeal that he could call the shots from it's bully pulpit. I remember how the local Indy media was offended at how Michael Schumacher didn't give proper (in their eyes) respect to the great heritage of the Indy speedway. Here is a guy whose traveled and raced against the best the entire world and won and in their eyes he should be lucky to finally arrive in Inianapolis Indiana. This was TGs mentality too IMO.

 

Bueller?

Tony George has not left his position with IMS. The story's everywhere, but props to Ron:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=138684928&postcount=5

 

Well shoot...

I like the idea of hiring humpy. I gotta admit i fiqured he was just some closed minded good ole' boy living off the laurels of NASCAR. I heard an interview with him on the radio in Charlotte driving through one day and thought the guys assesment of the problems facing the sport and the solutions to them was spot on.

 

Somebody say FOTA?!? Oops, wrong thread...

 

Whoops, far from it.

 

TG was born on third base and he walked around like he hit a triple. $600M to kill CART? He could have picked the whole series up for a sixth of that price when the IRL was born.

Can't help but think that Paul Newman is smiling (somewhere) knowing that TG is being scolded by The Family for his mis-steps. Personally, I will always see the mixed-circuits of the old Champ Cars as the best open-wheeled racing we ever saw.

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

 

I agree that Champ Car was indeed a premier series before everything went awry - I grew up watching nearly every race from about age 7 on. It was a great mix of historic road courses, street circuits, and high speed ovals. I long for the IRL to become that someday, but somehow I doubt it will ever regain the prestige that CART had. The most exciting thing, in the media's eyes, is Helio escaping tax evasion charges, and "Danica-mania". It has become less and less about the racing and more about the publicity and marketing of the drivers.

 

Every for of auto racing has been about publicity and marketing for at least 30 years. It hasn't had anything to do with sport for a LONG time...

 

The IndyCar Series team owners have expressed their support for Tony George following reports suggesting his future as CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was in doubt.

It was reported earlier this week that George, founder of the Indy Racing League, had been voted out of his position at a board meeting.

IMS issued a statement denying this, but did suggest that future restructuring was possible, and that the board had asked George to "to devise a plan for management of Hulman & Company, the Indy Racing League, Clabber Girl and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that would allow him to focus on the business which requires the greatest attention."

Last night at Milwaukee, the 12 teams participating in the full IndyCar season released a statement reiterating that George had their full backing.

"During the past week there have been many rumours and innuendos about our CEO Tony George," said the statement.

"We, the IndyCar team owners, want to express our full support to Tony. As an innovator and leader of our sport, he continually strives to help and improve IndyCar racing, and for that we are exceptionally grateful."

IMS runs both the Indianapolis track and the IndyCar and Indy Lights championships, among other businesses, while George is also the head of his own Vision Racing team.

 

Better the devil you know...
CH